Politix

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Bullshit In A China Shop May 14, 2025

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.politix.fm

Donald Trump blinked, as many people suspected he would. This week, he reduced the embargo-level tariffs he imposed on China a month ago, and did so unilaterally. So in exchange for a month-long crisis, a still-looming supply shortage, lost jobs, and lost wealth, we got nothing! But Trump’s supporters are all too ready to cover for him.

In this episode, Matt and Brian discuss:

* What does Trump’s reversal mean for the economy in the near and medium term?

* Will his army of propagandists be able to sell his flailing as a “win,” and, thus, blunt the political consequences of his economic mismanagement?

* Would Democrats be better off if their grassroots were similarly cult like, or is Trump’s “superpower” actually a big weakness, both for the GOP and the country?

Then, behind the paywall, how should Democrats think about the damage Trump is doing, not just in the trade realm but across government? It’s (apparently) easy to tweak tariff rates, but much harder to convince trading partners that we’re trustworthy. Could this be a basis for Democratic opposition? Should Democrats unify behind a general promise to reconstitute the government Trump broke, and rebuild global faith in the United States? Or are technical questions surrounding how to rebuild destined to leave the party mired in infighting?

All that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

* Brian argues it’s counterproductive to wallow in the fact that building things is harder than breaking them, and that Dems should adopt a posture of resolve and defiance.

* Matt on Trump rediscovering the virtues of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and how he succeeds politically by claiming credit for renegotiating shittier versions of deals he broke in the past.

* Adam Serwer: “The Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying.”

Medicaid And Discomfort May 07, 2025

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.politix.fm

They won’t come right out and say it this time, the way they did in 2017. But Republicans are still hellbent on repealing the Affordable Care Act—or at least the half of the ACA that expanded Medicaid coverage to millions more poor and disabled Americans.

In this episode, Matt and Brian discuss:

* What do Republican pronouncements about their aspirational health care cuts actually mean?

* Will cuts to a program that benefits millions of Trump supporters, and that basically nobody in industry supports, create disarray among House and Senate Republicans?

* How should Democrats and industry stakeholders alike go about clarifying the stakes, so that Republicans might balk?

Then, behind the paywall, the ACA meant to expand Medicaid in every state. But the Supreme Court decided it was unconstitutional for the federal government to force states to adopt policy under threat of massive, peripheral spending cuts. Since that’s the law of the land, shouldn’t Democratic governors err on the side of fighting Trump, rather than capitulating to his extortionate threats? What counts as fair-game cooperation with the Trump administration, and what counts as caving? And do Democrats need to be mindful of the underlying issue, or should they fight everywhere the law’s on their side?

All that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

* Matt on not letting the awfulness of the GOP tax-and-Medicaid agenda slip through the cracks.

* Brian on why Democratic governors like Gretchen Whitmer should stop Paul Weissing themselves.

* Resources to help citizens with Republican representatives effectively oppose Medicaid cuts.

100 Days Of Squalitude Apr 30, 2025

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.politix.fm

On Donald Trump’s hundredth day in office—the day we taped this podcast—he was historically unpopular, driving the country into recession, and responding to the loss of confidence in his administration by escalating his authoritarian threats against the public.

In this special episode, Paul Krugman joins Brian to discuss:

* What Trump has done to the U.S. economy in just the past 100 days.

* Why it’s too late for him to fix some of the mistakes he made without subjecting Americans to real economic hardships in the coming weeks.

* How his own faithless, erratic conduct will make recovery difficult (for the economy and his polling) even if he ends his trade war.

Then, behind the paywall, how can future leaders attempt to undo the damage Trump has done? What will the country look like after 1300ish more days of this? Are economic forecasters underrating the risk of recession to hedge their bets? Would further inroads toward dictatorship deepen the economic crisis as well as the crisis of democracy and human rights? And what does it say about the direness of our circumstances that major upheaval, like impeachment and removal, would likely help restore global economic confidence in the U.S.

All that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

* Krugman asks, Did Peter Navarro save democracy?

* Brian argues that though Trump is wreaking economic havoc, the rising against him isn’t class war as commonly understood on the left.

* Matt argues hoping Trump implodes is not enough, and Democrats need a plan to actually win back the Senate.

Junk Male Apr 23, 2025

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.politix.fm

Right-wing religious fanatics want women to have more children with bread-winning men. Donald Trump views masculinity as synonymous with physical toughness. The synthesis: instead of using prosperity to make family formation more appealing, what if we just crushed female employment and made most jobs manual labor?

In this episode, Matt and Brian discuss:

* How Trump’s economic policy and disdain for white-collar professionalism might actually drive men into blue-collar work, and women into the kitchen.

* Why this is a bad idea!

* Whether Trump’s fear of backlash suggests Republicans will ultimately lack the courage of their convictions to stick with this attempted cultural revolution.

Then, behind the paywall, what, if anything, can liberal elites do to make progressive politics and the Democratic Party more appealing to men—particularly men who like the idea of working hard and playing by the rules to get ahead, but don’t like Trump’s lying, misogyny, and authoritarianism? Can quietly competent Democrats like Chris Van Hollen out “man” testosterone-addled incompetents like Pete Hegseth? And is the solution to this gender-driven tension for men to spend less time online and more time socializing?

All that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

* Brian on how men can be manly without working in the mines at the behest of soft elites like Trump and Elon Musk.

* Matt on the gender politics of Trumponomics.

* Stephan Schubert.

Stock ‘n Trade War Apr 16, 2025

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.politix.fm

Two weeks into his trade war, Donald Trump has made at least a few tactical retreats, and markets have stabilized a bit as a result. Are we just in the eye of the storm? Or is it possible the economic fallout from the trade war won’t be as severe as we feared on LIBERATION DAY?

In this episode, Matt and Brian discuss:

* Why did markets recover significantly (though not entirely) from the big sell off after Trump launched the trade war?

* Who has a better read on the harm Trump is likely to do to the United States and its economy, traders or Democrats?

* Even in a least-bad case scenario, isn’t Trump setting himself up to absorb more economic blowback than Joe Biden did for presiding over a year of moderate inflation?

Then, behind the paywall, how can Democrats hedge against the possibility that public opinion won’t do all their political work for them? Between Trump violating court orders, and Democrats facing greater threats of violence, how likely are we to lose democracy well before the midterm elections? What if anything can Democrats do to keep the rule of law intact enough to have a fair shot next November? What kinds of candidates should they recruit to maximize their odds of retaking power, even if the economy doesn’t collapse?

All that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

* Matt on the trade-deficit myths driving Trump’s economic self-sabotage.

* Brian on how House Democrats can exploit the rules to run down the clock and draw attention to the assault on democracy, and growing momentum for resistance.

* Democrats plan a fact-finding trip to the CECOT gulag in El Salvador.

Liberation Ruining The Nation Apr 09, 2025

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.politix.fm

Last week, in one fell swoop, Donald Trump wiped out trillions of dollars in wealth, upended all of our trade relations, and poised the U.S. for a lengthy recession and higher prices. His big money backers are in freakout mode. He’s made himself politically vulnerable in dramatic fashion, but also undermined the foundations of the American age.

In this episode, Matt and Brian discuss life with (and after?) Trump’s tariffs:

* How the fuck did Trump’s billionaire backers get this so catastrophically wrong?

* Is Trump looking for an offramp, where he “negotiates” away these tariffs in exchange for symbolic victories, or are they here to stay?

* How does uncertainty around that question exacerbate damage to the economy economic?

Then, behind the paywall, where, if anywhere, do we go from here? Are Democrats handling the situation optimally, in both legislative and messaging contexts? Would it even matter all that much if Congress revoked presidential tariff authority, now that the whole world sees us as erratic and untrustworthy? Is there a path back to an American-led global economic order, or are we just permanently poorer?

All that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

* Brian on what it would look like to really reverse America’s Trump-induced collapse.

* Matt’s 29 thoughts on Liberation Day™️.

* Josh Marshall on how all power is unitary.

Are We Cooked? Apr 02, 2025

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.politix.fm

There are signs of life in the Democratic Party, and if Republicans continue to badly underperform in special elections, the vibes could shift. But there are some things even a robust opposition can’t really stop, when a president claims autocratic power, and is insulated from normal political considerations

After a brief discussion of Cory Booker’s filibuster, and the Supreme Court race in Wisconsin, Matt and Brian discuss the unitary executive theory. Specifically:

* What is the unitary executive theory?

* Is a rogue presidency really what Republicans had in mind when they concocted this theory a few decades ago?

* Would adverse court rulings establishing an all-powerful, unaccountable executive mean the end of Fed independence, and a ruined economy?

Then, behind the paywall, are there any legitimate reforms to our political system that would be both wise and make the government more responsive to election outcomes? Is there any circumstances under which this kind of king-like presidency would not devolve into criminality and corruption? Will any constitutional checks remain if the Supreme Court grants Trump’s unitary executive claims, or will it be entirely up to the masses?

All that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

* One way to weaken Trump’s executive would be to rescind his tariff authority.

* The long tail of law firms caving to Trump’s lawless threats.

* Pramila Jayapal’s Resistance Lab.

Take It To The Limit Mar 26, 2025

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.politix.fm

Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats continue to catch hell from their own voters for caving in the government shutdown fight. But in the coming days, perhaps sooner than most people are expecting, Congress will have to increase the debt limit. And once again, Democrats will have to decide whether and how to use their votes to rein in an out-of-control GOP.

After some quick observations about the Trump administration’s snowballing Signal Scandal, Matt and Brian discuss and explain:

* What happens, as far as we know, if the U.S. government runs out of borrowing authority;

* Whether DOGE has made a default crisis more imminent by crippling the IRS (and, thus, revenue collection);

* How Democratic leaders should seize control of this story now, and make their demands clear, before the deadline is at hand and Republicans beat them to the punch;

* Why articulating their demands up front might help them avoid the trap of caving to Republican pressure.

Then, behind the paywall, what should those demands be? It isn’t certain that Republicans will need Democratic votes to increase the debt limit. But if they do, should Democrats use their leverage to stave off the Republican threat to Medicaid? Or would they better off focusing on the issues like DOGE and Trump administration lawbreaking that were at issue in the aborted shutdown fight?

All that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

* How the Trump administration texted Jeffrey Goldberg its war plans.

* Brian’s 19 thoughts on the Signal scandal.

* Donate to Susan Crawford.

* Join the Tesla Takedown movement.

* Elon Musk and the payment system.

Schümerdämmerung Mar 19, 2025

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.politix.fm

Donald Trump is becoming unpopular, but Democrats are more unpopular than they’ve ever been, reflecting not just Republican voter partisanship, but the fact that tens of millions of Democratic voters are fed up with their party’s conduct in the aftermath of the election. With partisan anger boiling over, calls for Chuck Schumer to resign from leadership, and constitutional crises on our doorstep, Matt and Brian discuss:

* How did Democrats in Congress bungle the politics of funding the government so badly?

* Will they have another bite at the apple when it’s time to raise the debt limit, or has the ship full of apples sailed?

* Given mediocre Democratic congressional performance in 2024, and little prospect of winning the Senate in 2026 (absent a generational Trump-induced crisis) what’s the argument for Schumer to keep his job?

Then, behind the paywall, a lot of yelling. Are Democrats playing too much protect-defense under dire circumstances? Should leaders like Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries be focused entirely on 2026 election politics, or are the moral stakes of Donald Trump’s authoritarian takeover threat severe enough to adopt a less cautious, feistier, more procedurally aggressive posture? Is the Politix synthesis of Yglesias-style policy moderation and Beutler-style procedural hardball the sweet spot for the party in the Trump era?

All that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

* Matt’s sigh of relief that Schumer prevented the shutdown.

* Brian argues that if Democrats aren’t going to pick big fights that might move public opinion, and leave everything to the courts, they should probably lay some political groundwork for whenever Trump decides he can ignore court rulings.

* Donate to Susan Crawford.

* Join the Tesla Takedown movement.

* Proposition: “We're gonna get a lot of primary challengers with the issue positions of 2013 Barack Obama and a burning, unhinged desire to put Republicans in jail.” Would this be good or bad, and would it win or lose?

Move Fast And Break Wind(shields) Mar 12, 2025

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.politix.fm

By the time this episode runs, we’ll be two days from the deadline to fund the government. And if Republicans get there act together juuuust a bit, Democrats will have to decide if and how to wield their leverage to the end of forcing the Trump administration back into compliance with the rule of law.

In this episode, Matt and Brian discuss:

* Can Democrats hold out indefinitely, if Donald Trump refuses to faithfully execute the law, and win the politics of a government shutdown with the voting public?

* Can they wield the filibuster power to at least strip the funding bill of special goodies House Republicans added to unify their members?

* What would represent Democrats standing firm, and what would could as a betrayal of their constituents?

Then, behind the paywall, does the rapidly deteriorating economy change the equation at all? Does it give Democrats leverage to align against a clean funding bill, given that Trump has only been able to damage the economy so badly because he’s abused his economic powers? And what can Democrats at the state level do, short of encouraging Tesla vandalism, to make Trump and Musk feel pain for their dereliction of duty?

All that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

* Brian argues that Democrats need to be prepared not just to blame Trump for economic turbulence, but to prebut all the lies he’ll tell about it.

* Matt says Democrats should learn from Trump’s economic failures, and re-embrace conventional economics.

* “Tesla faces vandalism and protests amid backlash” 🎻.

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